The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-06-25
TRADES IN MEXICO.
SINGULAR CRAFTS PURSUED IN
THE STREETS.
Beautiful Pottery and jewelers. Fine
WOrk-Cheapness of GOld-Rag-
Baby Making "A Mexican
Weaver Trade Secrets.

Various trades are carried on in Guada-
laiara with great success. particularly
silvcrsmithing, blacksmithing and car
pentering. Among the manufactures
those of iron, steel, glass and peculiar
kind of pottery are celebrated all over
tie republic. Indeed, the fame of
"Guadalaa lara pottery" is world wide.
The queerest designs of carafes, odd
water jugs with two spouts or one, jars,
mugs, pitchers with long noses and stubby
handles, ETC., made of baked clay, highly
glazed, with black, pale gray or dark
red ground, painted with impossible
flowers or figures, which according to
Scripture it would be no sin to wor-
ship, all quaint enough to rank
high in any collection of ceramics.
When new this ware imparts to the water
it contains a strange flavor, which is
greatly relished by Mexicans but as much
disliked by most other people.
The gayest of serapes and the finest of
rcbcsos are also manufactured hereabout;
also paper and printed calico. The fill
gree work of the Guadalaara jewellers
is simply wonderful, and may be seen
any day in every stage of progress, be-
cause in all tropical countries, as in the
far East, the majority of work
men follow their avocations in the open
air. The gold and silvcrsmiths ply their
intricate trade outside their little shops,
on the street corners, anywhere, undis-
turbed by the dust and confusion around
them. They make exquisite bits of or
namentation of the gold known in COM
merce as Etruscan, meaning the dark,
rich, reddish yellow variety. These
works are much more popular in Europe
than on this continent, and across the
Atlantic no collection of Jewels or orna-
ments is considered complete without a
set of Mexican tiligrec work. 1t is not
at all like the Fiorcntine or Venetian, and
is made after an entirely different plan.
The threads OF precious metal are beaten
to intinltcslmal linencss, twelve wires of
gold twisted together making thread
no thicker than No. "a spool cotton. The
wires are all carefully traced on sketches
or patterns, and the delicate manner in
which each wire is solderod to the other
is one of the marvels of human skill.
From earliest days the Mexicans have
been adopts in this kind of workmanship,
but so behind the times are latter day
artiticers that in improvident Mexico hui
man labor counts for next to nothing,
and skilled workman will toll for weeks
over a delicate toy which sells for few
shillings.
The precious metal being here so plen-
tiful, because of the remarkable richness
of the surrounding sicrras, ornaments of
pure gold and silver are common among
the poorest peoplc-from great hoops in
their ears to cigarette cases in their
pockets. At every street corner are little
stands where genuine treasures, in the
way of antique jcwclry or exquisite
specimens of tiligree work may be bought
for a song. There are bracelets, neck
laces, combs, earrings, cruciiixes; in
short, every imaginable device-some set
with the beautiful opals of Querelara. or
pearls from the California gulf; or topaz,
amethyst, garncts or 'cats'-eyes" from
other portions of Mexico.
The Guadala iaran wood-carvcrs are also
famed for the beauty of their workman
ship. In hundred little shops we find
swarthy workmcn patiently carving bits
of wood into wonderful roSaries. every
bead of which shows a miniature picture
of some scriptural sccne-heads which
arc really perfect portraits for the tips Of
canes and umbrellas, rings, boxes, cigar
cite cases, buttons, etc. The cane cary
ers, who have over 200 varieties of rich
native wood to choose from, produce
some wonderful sticks; and many of the
most expensive umbrella and parasol
handles known to commerce are wrought
by these unknown and poorly paid work
men.
One has a chance to study . good
many quaint trades in this land of 1.-THE
Fair God" jealousy guarded by the
Mexicans, having been handed down